It's always a tough call on whether to just do a day trip or pay for a rental as the costs of a nice rental can add up quickly.The TL/DR (which I'll expand on) is that we ended up changing to a strategy of letting others help pay for a cabin that we know we'll love.

Quote from @Ella Volney: Nice!

Maybe it is not a good area for rentals (especially if the homes available are in very nice condition). 

With mobile homes, purchasing at a price where the numbers make sense will get you a nice profit.

It'd certainly be nice to keep all your cash on hand for property rehab to make the BRRRR work.

Small college town, 10k-30k people, anywhere from 80k-160k will get you a nice 3 bed 1 bath house.

Perhaps a nice 1950's built bungalow.Always hire a 3rd party property inspector to give you an unbiased feel for the home.

Though the property and surrounding areas look nice in the pictures, the doors and windows has bars which concern me.I am just starting our my RE investment journey and all help is greatly appreciated.

For a nice possibly furnished STR, you are looking at between $250,000 to $350,000 depending on your budget. 

I'd pay a few hundred and get some nice pics.